As a high school kid growing up in a suburban home in Forest Lake, Lindsay Watson had little exposure to farming and agriculture. But then came a year in the high school’s ag program and a desire that fueled a four-year degree at the University of Minnesota. In 2009 she received a degree in agricultural education and a minor in sustainability.

Now Watson plans to pour her energy and knowledge into a land half way around the world in Africa. Come July 1, she will be on the ground in Tanzania as a project coordinator for the Lutindi Project as a volunteer director for the 2Seeds Network.

Linday Watson, right, is a 2005 Forest Lake High School graduate.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that as we age, the less likely we are to try something new. Unless of course, you’re  as adventurous as 98-year-old Violet Massie.  The St. Paul native lived in North Branch for 25 years before moving to Ebenezer’s assisted living facility – adjacent to the  Fairview Lakes Medical Center in Wyoming – six years ago

Violet Massie will be the guest of honor in Wyoming on Thursday. (Photo By Jennifer Larson)

Eden Prairie backed up its No. 1 ranking with a 12-0, six-inning win over Forest Lake in the semifinals of the Class AAA state baseball tournament Thursday afternoon at Midway Stadium in St. Paul. The Rangers went through four pitchers before the 10-run rule was invoked. Eagle starter Adam Bray scattered two hits over five innings. Parker Winning took the loss for Forest Lake, giving up four earned runs in four-plus innings. In total, the Eagles lashed 15 hits. Eden Prairie (25-1) will face Burnsville in Saturday's championship game. Forest Lake (17-10) will take on Coon Rapids in the third-place game at 2:30 Friday afternoon at Midway.

They graduated 16 seniors off last year’s squad. They gave up 20 runs in the first game this season. And now they’re going back to state. The Forest Lake baseball team beat Grand Rapids 4-1 Friday afternoon at Schumacher Field to lift its second consecutive Section 7AAA title trophy

(Forest Lake opens Class AAA state tournament action at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 17 against Suburban East Conference champion Stillwater. Check back for updates.)

The Rangers claim their section hardware after Friday's home win.
(Photo by Clint Riese)

Betsy Kelly's bid to repeat as the Class AA state golf champion has fallen short. Kelly, a one-stroke leader in the first round after shooting an even-par 73 on Tuesday, finished fourth. The Forest Lake senior was unable to hold off a red-hot Maggie Leland of Alexandria who won the first-place medal with a four under par 69. Leland's two-day total was 143, six shots better than Kelly's 149. Leland entered play on Wednesday one stroke back of Kelly after shooting 74 on Tuesday.

Kelly slipped to a three over par 76 on Wednesday at Bunker Hills in Coon Rapids. Kelly also fell behind two other golfers. Sara Detlefsen of Eastview and McKenzie Neisen of New Prague finished tied for second with two-day totals of 148. Kelly actually played better golf than in 2009 when she won the first-place medal with a two-day total of 151, two shots more than she carded in the 2010 tournament.

Betsy's brother, Max, finished in a tie for eighth on the boys' side. The ninth-grader  tallied a second-day 73 to finish with a total of 148. He finished six shots back of Charlie Braniff of St. Cloud Tech. Kelly's teammate Drew Massey tied for 36th with a score of 157.

When Evan Malm crossed the stage at Forest Lake High School last Thursday night, he was one of 570 seniors to earn a high school diploma. Not bad for a kid who not long ago was “on the road to nowhere.”

That Malm, 19, is a member of the Forest Lake High School Class of 2010 is a story in of itself. Just a year ago, Malm was languishing in the kitchen of a Stillwater restaurant, scraping food from plates, washing dishes and catching glimpses of happy people drinking and dining.

Evan Malm, right takes a final look at his mathematics assignment with teacher Terri Gieschen at the ALC. (Photo by Cliff Buchan)